


a melody, a battle cry, a symphony

by v1ewmonster



Series: Home Sweet Home [3]
Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dreams and Nightmares, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21706942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v1ewmonster/pseuds/v1ewmonster
Summary: Ness ruminates about the past few days, which leads him to interact with Lucas.
Relationships: Lucas (Mother 3) & Ness (Mother 2)
Series: Home Sweet Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1445653
Kudos: 12





	a melody, a battle cry, a symphony

**Author's Note:**

> okay, i know i haven't updated this au in *checks calendar* a few weeks, but i've kept this in my drafts long enough not to post it. with that out of the way, enjoy!

He didn’t know why, but Ness couldn’t sleep. 

He’d been able to sleep fine within the last couple of days, surprisingly enough, as he was in a whole new environment, and he was never able to sleep anywhere other than his home anyway. 

He couldn’t help but regret what he did the other day, forcing Doctor Andonuts to use the new and improved Phase Distorter, seeing as Porky stole the original one. But it had to be done, as who knows what kind of mischief Porky would get into? By popular belief, he had done a number on the quaint Nowhere Islands, with Tazmily Village even more so. 

It had been eating at him for a while now, and he felt _bad_ . He almost hurt a fellow ally, an asset to his adventure. How could he lash out like that, _just_ to get what he wanted? He remembered everything, from the indignant tone of his voice to the horrified look on Doctor Andonuts’ face when he pushed him against the wall, the room brimming with PSI energy. 

With that, he visualized everything.

  
  


Ness did his best to ignore the snow settling into his bare skin, getting cold with each step he took. If he kept that up, he’d probably get frostbite. Though that was what he deserved, for stepping outside into the snow wearing _only_ a t-shirt and shorts. He was glad he brought a sweatshirt with him this time around. 

He entered the lab, his friend Jeff nowhere in sight, and he had to wonder why. He was about to say goodbye to him before heading out to God knows where, _just_ to locate Porky. Now that he thought about it, pulling a stunt like he was doing now proved to be stupid, but despite what his inner moral compass thought, he knew he had to do it. It was the right thing, and if it wasn’t, he didn’t know what was. 

He noticed Andonuts working on a new invention. He wanted to ask about Jeff, but… no, that wasn’t important. What was important was getting ahold of the new and improved Phase Distorter. 

“Why, hello, Ness,” Doctor Andonuts greeted him, and he stopped focusing on what he was working on to face him. “What brings you here?”

Ness knew that his request was about to be the most absurd thing to ever come from him, but he said it anyway. He had to. For the sake of another world. “Hey, remember that new and improved Phase Distorter you were goin’ on about when I called Jeff the other day?”

“Hmm? Ness, what is this abo-”

“You wouldn’t mind me using it, would you?” 

Doctor Andonuts clicked his tongue in apprehension. “No, I don’t, but… why would you wanna use that thing, anyway?”

He was right. Why _would_ he? Ness was already traumatized enough as it is by that _thing_ , but he knew he had to save Porky. He felt guilty if he didn’t. 

“You’re right,” Ness said, “I wouldn’t wanna use it normally, but I feel like my reason is good enough to be using it.”

“Well,” Doctor Andonuts replied, “At least take precautions before going-”

He assumed that meant putting his soul into another robotic body, by which he felt that there was no need. It made his blood run cold, having to do what he did to stop Giygas. And he didn’t like the feeling of being disconnected from his body anyway. “I don’t have time. I have to go _now_.”

Doctor Andonuts shot him a stern look. “I can’t risk it. If you go inside that machine unprotected, who knows what would happen to your body? You could _die_ if you’re not careful, you know this!”

“I’m aware,” Ness said, hesitation shaking in his voice, “But I have no choice.” 

As Ness tried to make his way towards the new Phase Distorter, he noticed that Doctor Andonuts’ hands were outstretched to avoid him from stepping forward.

“Step aside,” Ness began, unrelenting, “I just need to-”

“ _No_!”

Doctor Andonuts was pinned to the wall, shaking involuntarily as Ness stared him down. After a few seconds, Ness’s hands slid downwards, letting go.

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Ness said, voice shaking as he spoke, “I can’t tell you what I’m about to do, but you hafta _listen_ to me. It’s for your own good.”

“I understand that you speak of good intentions, Ness,” Doctor Andonuts responded, leaving Ness’s line of sight, “But I really don’t think you should do this. You could _die_ , for crying out loud!”

“If it’s to save another, then so be it.” No hint of hesitance lay in his voice.

Doctor Andonuts sighed, knowing that, at this rate, he wouldn’t be able to get through to him if he was feeling _this_ inclined to do it. “Fine.”

He reluctantly pulled out the shiny exterior of the Phase Distorter. He didn’t feel like telling Ness what was changed, but he did what he could to help people have _some_ sense of security while inside. 

Ness climbed into the Phase Distorter, the memories already flooding his mind. He couldn’t _believe_ that those events were only a month ago. A month ago! 

He turned it on, and off he went into a dimension unlike his own.

  
  


Ness stopped visualizing the scene immediately, not wanting to think about it any further. He felt bad, and he hoped that what he did didn’t change Doctor Andonuts’ perception of him. He didn’t intend to hurt him after all, despite how he treated his son. 

He didn’t find himself a bad person, but what he did back there… forcing others to get what he wanted, whether or not it was a good thing… it was awful, what he did. And he couldn’t stop _thinking_ about it either. 

As he desperately tried to get the vision out of his head, he thought about Giygas. It had been a while since he did, due to his avoidance of thinking of him, considering the bad memories that would conjure up whenever he did. Though here he was, thinking about him _again_. He wondered if the rest of the Chosen Four had intrusive thoughts like he did. It was very likely they did, but it would take a while until he knew.

Ness shot up at the sound of his name. He darted around the area in an anxious fashion. The others were sleeping it off, something he wished he was doing. So they weren’t trying to talk to him. Then who was? Perhaps he was hallucinating. He was pulling an all-nighter, anyway.

As the voice grew louder, it sounded more demonic than when he first heard it. Demonic yet familiar. He didn’t understand why, but it was familiar.

His mind shifted to Giygas calling his name over and over when they went to the past. And then, the sights changed. The once starless sky turned red, clouds stirring into rage in its wake. His vision became overcome with red. He didn’t understand what was happening, but he heard the now familiar voice call his name once again.

He repressed the urge to scream, his body rocking back and forth to distract his thoughts from the sound of Giygas’s voice. But the cosmic destroyer’s voice continued to beckon forth, echoing each time his name was called.

“Ness…”

The voice continued to groan, making Ness want to cover his ears. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. It was his mind playing tricks on him again. This usually happened in nightmares, but this was realer than anything his dreams could ever conjure up. 

Breathing, counting to ten… any attempt to distract himself did nothing. His body continued to twist and turn, but he felt like he was writhing each time he did so. 

He wanted to tell the voice to stop, but he knew he couldn’t. He didn’t want to wake anyone up with his problems. He didn’t want to be a nuisance enough as it is. 

“Ness?” A much softer voice asked.

Ness turned around, albeit more sharply as he was still scared out of his wits. 

The visions he was experiencing stopped abruptly at the sound of the soothing voice.

“Oh, Lucas,” Ness put his hands to his sides, “What’s up?”

“I was uhh,” Lucas began, “I just woke up suddenly, only to see that you’re up, so I was wondering if something happened.”

Ness plopped down on a spot next to Lucas. For the most part, he was calm, but another part of him said otherwise. “Nah, it’s nothin’. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

Lucas averted his eyes at that. 

“Not that your concern isn’t bad or anything, I just don’t want you to waste it on me, is all.” 

Silence filled the air in the conversation’s place. 

“Look,” Ness said, putting his forefinger to the bridge of his nose, “It was just a dream I had, that’s all. Alright?”

Lucas nodded, but he still felt the suspicion creep at him.

The silence continued to persevere.

“Anyways,” Ness knew he had to change the topic, “So you have PSI too, huh?”

Lucas nodded, willing to continue the conversation. “Mhm. Are uhh, the Magypsies in your hometown, too?”

He must be thinking that since the Mr. Saturns live in Eagleland, then the Magypsies must be the same way. “Oh, no. I never even heard of them until I joined you guys.”

“Really?” Lucas asked. “Then uhh, how do you have PSI, then?”

Ness cocked his head a few degrees in confusion. “I was born with it. You tellin’ me you weren’t?”

Lucas shook his head. “They taught me. The Magypsies did.”

No wonder why he asked that. “Hmm. Interesting.”

He never thought that you could be _taught_ PSI. But then again, Paula told him that she would teach him PK Fire, Thunder, and Freeze at some point, if he ever needed it.

“PK Love, huh?” Ness muttered to himself, and he didn’t expect Lucas to state his input on it.

“T- that’s my favorite thing, what about it?” 

“I’m not judgin’ you, and it’s not like I’m surprised about it either.”

Lucas stood up. “You must think it’s lame, don’t you?”

“No, I-”

“Like PK Rockin’, what does that mean?”

“Now you’re just makin’ fun of me.”

“Uhh, sorry.”

Ness sighed. “I never knew you could obtain PSI through bein’ taught. Though I’m assuming you don’t know much about PSI yourself, huh?”

Lucas couldn’t help but agree with him. He was right, after all. He only recently gained these powers, and as much as he knew about how to use them, he still didn’t know of its history. He wasn’t aware that it was a phenomenon spread across the world. 

“I mean, you shouldn’t paint me as an expert or anything, but-”

Boney stirred awake, now scampering over to his owner and sitting on his lap. Lucas began to pet him in multiple areas of his body.

“You decided to bring your dog out to… fight?” Ness couldn’t help but question. 

Lucas nodded. "He might not look much, but he's pretty powerful. I'm... sure you know that."

“Yeah, but a _dog_? My dog can’t even fight!”

“Just because your dog can’t fight, doesn’t mean that Boney is the same.”

Ness didn’t know what to say other than, “Fair enough.”

Boney sprinted towards Ness now, pleading for his attention. Ness began to pet him, and doing it reminded him of King. It made him miss home more than anything, but there was no time to be reminiscing. He didn’t want to become homesick, now.

Ness laughed as Boney jumped around playfully, licking his hand whilst barking, but quiet enough so Duster and Kumatora wouldn’t wake up. It was the first time he was able to let loose, and he hated to admit it. He’d been in over his head about finding Porky within the past few days, and the only reason he was here on another adventure was because he found some leads that _could_ make his way to Porky. 

He was scared that one of them would eventually ask about his reasons for joining them, and then he’d have to tell them his whole life story. He _really_ wasn’t looking forward to that, but so far, it seemed like they’re less concerned about his ‘oh-so tragic backstory’ and more about his well being, and that made him feel relieved, in a sense. 

He knew that he couldn’t sleep now, as he and Lucas watched the sun rise above the clouds. Kumatora and Duster woke up at the sight of it as well. Ness sighed, albeit more soundlessly. He could sleep later. For now, though, it’s business as usual as they got ready, their next objective plain as day. 


End file.
